From Washington Post
By E. J. Dionne Jr.

This year’s elections may turn the Tip O’Neill adage “All politics is local” not so much upside down as sideways: In 2006 all local politics is national, and all national politics is individual.

The United States is witnessing a centralization and nationalization of politics unprecedented in our history. This trend is rooted in the rise of the political consulting industry, vast changes in the technology of campaigning, and the intense competition between the two major parties for control of Congress

There is, as well, the concentration of political money at the national level as Washington-based interest groups, associations and lobbyists not only raise large amounts in political contributions within the capital but also mobilize campaign money from their allies around the country

Read More Politics